For an explanation of why you do these steps, or for more about macros, see the formatting page.
Copy the text you want and paste it into WordPerfect. (You can skip the legal info in the Gutenberg texts. It's perfectly legal to do it, as long as you remove all of it, which is easy to do.)
Quirk fix: Sometimes WordPerfect (at least 11) acts quirky if you format a book before saving what you've pasted in. (It appears fine, but upon re-opening, things appear to have moved.) An easy solution is to paste, save the book, close and then re-open WordPerfect, and it doesn't have any problem.
Tip: An easy way to select large blocks of text is to click just before where you want to begin highlighting but DO NOT hold down the mouse button. Next, scroll down to where you want to end highlighting. While holding down the Shift key, click just after where you want to highlight to. Now everything between your two clicks is highlighted. This is much faster than holding the mouse and scrolling down to highlight, when doing a large bit of text.
Select the page layout. Set margins at 0.5", leave a binding allowance, and if you're planning to print half-size, be sure you've selected the correct paper size. (It's often called "statement", or you can define your own size that is 5.5" wide and 8.5" high.)
[If you are making a macro, begin recording here. To find macros, click Tools/Macro, then record.
If you've already done this step and want to play your macro, skip down to "To play a macro later".]
1. Select all text (Click Edit/Select/All), and make sure it stays selected through the following steps. You can always select it all again if it comes un-highlighted.
2. Fix Font. (Click Format/Font). I like Times New Roman, 11 point.
3. Fix Line Spacing. (Click Format/Line/Spacing). I use 1.1, but 1.0 is fine too.
4. Fix Text Alignment. (Click Format/Justification/Full). This evens up both edges of the text.
5. Fix Paragraph Indentation. (Click Format/Paragraph/Format). In the "First line indent" box, type 0.125 (1/8"), or 0.25 (1/4"). Click ok.
To Remove Extra Hard Returns:
6. Select all text (still) and click "Edit/Find and Replace". In this box, click "Match / Codes". A new box will pop up.
7. In the Codes box select "HRt" (for Hard Return), and click "insert" twice. The "Find" box will now say [HRt][HRt].
8. In the "Replace with" box, choose "Left Tab" from the Codes box. Now click "Replace All."
9. Select all text again. In the "Find" box, delete one of the [HRt]s so it now says [HRt]. In the "Replace with" box, delete what it says and instead type in one space with the spacebar. Now click "Replace All".
10. Select all text again. In the "Find" box, erase what it says and select [Left Tab]. In the "Replace with" box, delete the space (don't forget that step!) and then select [HRt]. Now click "Replace All."
[If you were making a macro, stop recording now.
To play a macro later, place cursor at beginning of text, then click Tools/Macro/Play, and find your book macro.]
Finishing touches - Many of these are optional, but doing them can make your book look just that much neater. (This order works well, so you don't have to go back and redo anything.)
- Arrange the title page: Larger font, centered, remove indentation from this page (select the text on that page and change the amount of indentation to "0").
- Add page numbers: Make sure cursor is on the first page where you want numbers to appear, then click "Format/Page/Numbering". (You can also click "Format/Page/Suppress" to hide numbers on a certain page, like the title page.) You can use the "Set Value" button to change the number. Choose where you want the numbers: top or bottom, centered or "outside alternating".
- Arrange a table of contents: I usually skip this step, unless I am putting more than one book into a volume (like putting four Bobbsey Twins stories into the same book). I put the title of each book within that volume and which page it begins on. Arrange this page, minus the page numbers, arrange the rest of the book, then come back and enter the page numbers last.
- Fix italics: Click "Edit/Find and Replace" to search for underscores (_these thingies_). Anything _inside_ the underscore can be italicized, then the underscores can be deleted.
- Add any pictures: Usually I don't do this, but occasionally it is a good idea. For instance, if you want to add a map, or a graphic from a science text, (or if you just really like the pictures).
- Make chapter titles bold/centered: Can often use "Edit/Find and Replace" to search for the word "chapter" to find them easily. I highlight them, then do the following: make bold, center, and un-indent (change indentation to "0"). You can make another macro to do these steps for you.
- Arrange chapters: You don't need to make them begin on a new page (many real books don't). Just leave 2 blank lines after end of last chapter. One blank line after each chapter title also looks nice. Arrange them so that a chapter doesn't begin at the very bottom of a page. I try to make sure that there are at least 3 or 4 lines of the new chapter on a page (besides the title and blank line). If there isn't that much, I move it to the next page. Hint - If you're binding more than one book together, make sure that each new book begins on a right hand (odd numbered) page.
- Go back to the table of contents: (if you have one) and enter the page numbers.
You're now ready to print!